1. Take the Liver Disease Quiz
2. Hepatitis Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Hepatitis
3. Take the Alcohol Quiz

Medical Author:

Keith E. Stuart, MD

Keith E. Stuart, MD

Dr. Keith E. Stuart is a medical oncologist specializing in the study and treatment of cancers involving the gastrointestinal tract, with a special interest in tumors involving the liver. He was educated at Harvard University (graduating magna cum laude) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine and did his medical training at the New England Deaconess Hospital.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

View Full Profile

Unfortunately, besides surgery and transplantation, none of the above methods of treatment can be considered to be curative. Although physicians can perform many tests to discover and measure accurately several cancers in the liver, there are almost always more microscopic tumors than can be seen by any technique. Therefore, although local treatments such as radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, and chemoembolization can kill tumors that are visible, "new" cancers -- ones that are microscopic and invisible at the time of treatment -- will eventually appear. Also, the cirrhosis and conditions that gave rise to the initial cancers will still be there even after successful treatment, so more cancers might actually develop later.

Most of these treatments for liver cancer are still being studied, so some may be offered only in a research study or clinical trial designed to see how well they work. Many liver cancer treatments are investigational or experimental, since there is no one standard approach that can be relied upon to work every time. Researchers continue to look for new drugs and procedures that will be safer, more effective, and can bring a better quality of life to people with any type of liver cancer. For most people, the best treatment will turn out to be a series of different techniques or drugs, finding what helps, and then moving on to the next therapy as it is needed.

It is important to keep in mind that all these techniques are limited by possible side effects, and therefore the decision about how to treat any particular person depends on a very thorough evaluation of the liver function, the state of the blood vessels, how far the tumors have spread, and how healthy the patient has been. Most of all, the patient, family, and physician need to discuss openly what they expect, what may be effective, and what will be safe, and what ultimately makes sense.

Must Read Articles Related to Liver Cancer

Alcoholism Alcohol problems vary in severity from mild to life threatening and affect the individual, the person's family, and society in numerous adverse ways. Despite al...learn more >>

Ascites Ascites is an accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity (abdominal cavity). The primary cause of ascites is liver disease such as cirrhosis, acute liver fa...learn more >>

Cancer Symptoms Most symptoms and signs of cancer may also be explained by harmless conditions, so it's important to limit one's risk factors and undergo appropriate cancer scr...learn more >>

See the Entire Liver Cancer Topic Guide »